Outside the Lines
by Roslin Fan
Summary: Sharon doesn't know what she wants, but she can't stop asking for it...


When Sharon had said she liked the law better than lawyers, she had meant it. With the law, she always knew where she stood. People either followed it, or they didn't. She had always gone after the ones who didn't, even those wearing a badge. She had learned about corruption on every level and fought against it, often hitting a brick wall for her efforts. People had stopped liking her or trusting her, but in her experience, that was guilty consciences talking. Guilty people loved to play the victims, and perhaps they even believed it was true on some level. She'd had no time for their delusions and no desire to be liked by folks who had distorted the justice system so badly, even she could barely see the line at times.

And lawyers had often been as bad as everyone else. They distorted the truth, added extraneous fluff and words that required a dictionary (or two) to understand. Her husband had been the worst of them all. He had so carefully disguised his drinking under his charm, his gambling as 'breaking even.' And by the time she had untangled the truth from the lies he'd so skillfully spun, it was too late. She was still digging herself out from under his mess.

Of course, to say all lawyers were bad was as bad a stereotype as any of the others, and she hated stereotypes. There were good people and bad people, and that included lawyers, her personal experiences notwithstanding. Gavin was one of the good ones. Sure, he could spin a yarn, but he had worked in the City Attorney's office for years before starting his practice, and he had defended her cops, good or bad, and earned little for his trouble. She hadn't blamed him at all when he'd left to form his private firm.

Andrea was one of the good ones, but Sharon wasn't sure where she stood with her anymore. Things had been much clearer before DDA Emma Rios had entered their lives. Before, the MCU would catch a case, Sharon would lead the investigation, and Andrea would coordinate with her until they found enough evidence to make the best deal. They had been a team, an effective one. But then Rios had taken over the Stroh case, and some of the other cases as well, and that teamwork and carefully established rapport had fallen away. They still worked together occasionally, but there was a distance that hadn't been there before. And it hurt more than usual because Sharon had begun to count Andrea as a friend. But perhaps that had been her own mistake.

"Sharon, are you okay?" Rusty asked. He placed his hand tentatively on her back, obviously not sure if she would welcome the contact. As far as they'd come, he was still hesitant to show affection, like he was afraid she'd be repulsed somehow. She did everything she could to prove him wrong - without smothering him.

She nodded. "You asked a good question earlier. It got me thinking about...decisions I've made. How my life turned out, you know?"

"Oh. Is that good?"

She gave a small smile. "I think so. It can be a bit painful at times, but ultimately it's good to remember where you've been, so you know where not to go later."

He nodded. "What did you learn?" He put up his hand. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want."

"Mostly what I said already. I'm much better at understanding the law than people."

"I think you're good with people, Sharon." He sat next to her on the sofa. "How else would you get what you want? All the time?"

She laughed. "Oh Rusty, if only that were true."

"What else do you want?"

She sighed. "I don't really know, isn't that sad?"

He shook his head. "I don't always know what I want. I guess that's normal." He let out a little laugh. "Or we're just weird together."

She grinned. "We probably are weird together."

He shrugged. Then he let out a yawn. He wished her a good night and went to bed, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

/

Sharon was sitting on her sofa reading. It wasn't her usual fare at all - a book of poetry. Not that she'd had anything against poetry; it just wasn't something she would think to pick up and read, not in the same way she would read a novel. But she and Rusty had gone to the bookstore for the materials he needed for his online English class, and some poetry books were on display. One of the covers - a lone woman at a bar looking off into the distance for...something - had spoken to her on some level she couldn't explain. And yes, she knew the old adage about books and covers. In this case, it didn't apply. The contents inside fit the cover perfectly. And she couldn't stop reading it.

Rusty entered the living room, book in hand, and sat next to Sharon. "Do you like that book?"

She closed the book with her finger holding her page. "I do. Very much."

"Poetry?" He raised a brow.

"It's not like what you read in school." She opened the book to the first poem. "Here, listen to this. It's called 'Numbers'."

When she was finished, his face looked pretty much how she felt inside. "I'm not sure how I feel, but it makes me feel something, yeah."

She nodded. "Yes, exactly. They're all like that so far." She smiled. "You can borrow it if you want."

"Maybe." He snorted. "It's bad enough I gotta read this." He held up _Catcher in the Rye_.

"I think you might like that, too."

He shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

"We will."

She returned to the poem she'd left off on, and got lost in the beauty in the ugliness of it all.

/

Andrea sighed as she filed the last of the paperwork for the case she'd settled. She liked the new "deal" paradigm. It had put more of the work on the LAPD, especially the Major Crimes Division, but she was certain Captain Raydor could handle it. Murderers went to prison for life, with no time-sucking trial. And her desk and file cabinets would be much less cluttered, as she could happily put a "Closed" sticker on the manilla folders once she had the satisfaction the guilty parties had gone away.

Still, it was exhausting. And fast. How had Sharon been able to work through her FID cases so thoroughly in 72 hours? The significance of those hours - and what Sharon had managed to do in them - had never crossed her mind before. Andrea had rarely worked with FID, except when Captain Raydor had been investigating Chief Johnson. Then, Andrea had simply stayed out of the way as the two behemoths struggled for control: free reign v. rules. Ultimately, the rules had won, and as much as Andrea had grown to admire the Chief, and was happy to work with her at the DA's office, her life had been much easier since Captain Sharon Raydor had taken over Major Crimes. She hadn't needed to step in as much with the defense attorneys, and she didn't need to cringe at each new piece of evidence. Chief Johnson had had a talent for bringing inadmissible evidence to the table. Not that Raydor didn't have some tricks of her own. No, the woman was deviously brilliant. She was just on the right side of the law every step of the way.

Emma Rios was back, presumably from her latest dealings with Captain Raydor and the Major Crimes division. Her unrealistically high heels always clinked on the floor a little faster, a little louder after working with Captain Raydor. The clinking got closer, closer, until it stopped at Andrea's door. Rios knocked.

"Come in," Andrea said.

Rios opened the door and sighed. It was going to be one of those moments, then. Why had she volunteered to mentor the new _DDA?_ "How do you do it?" Rios asked.

Andrea furrowed her brow. "Do what?"

Rios threw up her hands. Then she sat as dramatically as possible across from Andrea. "Work with Captain Raydor."

_Ah._ "For starters, I remember that she's been on the force for a _very_ long time, and she knows the rules better than anyone else there." Andrea smiled sweetly. "You'd be surprised how far that will get you."

Rios tilted her head but said nothing.

"So what is it this time?"

Rios sighed. "Little things. Captain Raydor has _everyone_ on her side. I thought I heard she wasn't well liked."

Andrea snorted. "That was a different scenario completely."

Rios waved that off. "I heard all about her FID days."

Andrea wasn't sure why the dismissive tone bothered her, but it did. "Did you hear how much money she saved the department, the city in lawsuits? Or that she single-handedly identified the leak in the Major Crimes division?" Rios' eyes widened. The new DDA hadn't done all her homework, clearly. "Love her or hate her - and believe me, plenty of people have hated her - Sharon Raydor is a force to be reckoned with, and she commands respect."

"And I don't." A statement, not a question.

This was where mentorship got tricky. Andrea sighed. "Give it time. I will say this, though, forming a more symbiotic relationship with Captain Raydor can only help you."

"It's all about Rusty with her. All the time."

Andrea nodded. She'd seen a different side of Sharon with Rusty around. They were good for each other. "You're a lawyer. Make that work for you."

"He doesn't like me. So _they_ don't like me."

"And what are you going to do about that?"

Rios shrugged. "Maybe I won't look so bad compared to Rothman."

"Work with Rusty instead of against him. Get those letters admitted. And then, I think, you'll be on your way." Andrea smiled. "For what it's worth, they don't really like me either."

Rios snorted. "Thanks. I'll get out of your hair." She stood to go, turning before she walked out the door. "Do you really think I can get those letters admitted?"

"This is your shot to prove yourself. Make the best of it."

Rios left Andrea alone with her thoughts, and the folder in front of her. Andrea hadn't been lying when she'd said the Major Crimes team didn't like her, although it wasn't as bad as it used to be. Even Provenza had removed the hostility from his usual banter after she'd been shot. It was like she'd become part of their team, maybe in the same way Sharon had.

She'd enjoyed the rapport she and Sharon had created after Sharon took over the division. And if she wasn't mistaken, there'd been the slightest look of relief on the Captain's face whenever Andrea had arrived in the murder room ever since Rios had taken over the Stroh case. But their rapport hadn't been the same, and Andrea had no idea why.

/

Weeks later, Andrea placed the phone in the cradle. The Major Crimes Division had caught a doozie of a case: two dead children in suitcases at the airport, the father missing, presumed dead, and the mother was currently the primary suspect. Sharon sounded particularly invested in the case, and Andrea suspected the rest of team was as well. And she was already there with them. It was always painful when kids were involved, but this case sounded like the worst they'd encountered in a while.

She straightened her jacket, grabbed her folder and her purse, and was on her way.

When she entered the murder room, Sharon briefed her quickly. Cynthia Logan had withheld vital information every step of the way, and she had given a man who wasn't her husband a car. That man was likely her daughter's father. Sharon clearly had her mind made up that the killer was either Cynthia or her lover, and her frustration with Cynthia was obvious in her face and tone.

Listening to Sharon's account made Andrea share those frustrations. Andrea nodded.

Some of Sharon's edge disappeared as she said, "I'll get in there," before heading into the interrogation room where Mrs. Logan and Lieutenant Flynn were waiting.

Andrea sat next to Buzz so she could watch the proceedings. Flynn restated Mrs. Logan's rights, and he and Sharon made sure she understood them, then they lit into her. Ordinarily, Flynn was the bad cop to Sharon's good cop, but that time Andrea couldn't tell who was bad cop, Sharon probably, since she threatened to arrest the woman before Cynthia broke down and revealed she had had an affair with her cousin, who was her daughter's father. _That explains the misdirection_. Andrea shook her head as the woman tried to explain her husband's "tips" had been enough for them to buy their house in cash. Was it possible instead of being evil, she was just that stupid?

After Cynthia's positive identification of the girl's father, Andrea practically _felt_ Sanchez's and Provenza's anger as they headed toward the parking garage.

Meanwhile, Cynthia broke down in tears, begging Sharon to tell her the children were okay, that she would do anything, say anything to know they were safe. Andrea felt her heart crack for both women. Mrs. Logan wasn't the brightest and had been uncooperative, but she wasn't a killer, and pretty soon Sharon would have to notify her of her children's murders. She didn't envy Sharon that duty.

/

There was a knock on her office door. She looked up, expecting Andy since he'd offered to stick around in case she needed him. She had opted to cry it out in her empty office after everyone else had gone home. Then she would be ready to leave and return to her life, to Rusty. Instead of Andy or even Provenza, it was Andrea. "Come in."

"You okay, Sharon?"

Sharon nodded. "I am, yes. Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

Andrea sat and sighed. "You know I like our new paradigm. It's a win-win for us, and the perps feel like they're winning, but this case…"

"Yes. I would inject the needle myself. Proudly."

"I'm right with you there, Captain." A beat. "Your notification-"

"I honestly don't know whether it was worse for her or me." She shook her head. "Her, of course. Forgive me, I'm being maudlin."

Andrea smiled sadly. "You weren't wrong not to trust her. If she'd come clean at any point in the investigation…"

Sharon sighed. "Given the facts now, I can understand why she didn't. But you're right. If I had to do this over again, without knowing the truth about Cynthia and Tim, I wouldn't have done anything differently."

"And in most instances you would have been right."

"I suppose there's comfort in that. In being right most of the time. In not meaning to be so wrong this time." She blinked. _All right, time to move on._ "How'd it go with Tim?"

"He took the deal. Wrote everything out in detail." Andrea shuddered. "I thought it was bad listening to him, but reading his confession...I know what we are, what we do for a living, but-"

"We don't get to choose our cases. Neither of us. Between you and me, though, I'm glad your boss sent you for this one."

Andrea nodded. "I'll let you go. You probably want to get home to Rusty. How is he, by the way? I thought I saw him around earlier."

Sharon felt a grin break through. "He's doing so well. He's taking so many classes this summer and studying for his SATs. He's finally realized he can have a real future. College. A job. Whatever he wants."

Andrea smiled. "I'm so glad you found each other. Seems like you both benefitted."

"We have. And I'm so grateful for it." She leaned forward to stand. "I should head home. See what surprise is in the fridge." Like any night when he had been on his own for dinner, she knew he'd eaten already and whatever he'd made, there would be a plate of it waiting for her.

Andrea reached across the desk to gently squeeze Sharon's hand and wished her a good night, which Sharon returned. Then Andrea stood and exited the office.

Sharon sat in reflection. It had been so easy for them to talk, like they'd been working together forever. She hoped they would continue that in the time to come. She grabbed her blazer off the back of her chair, stood to put it on, gathered her briefcase and purse, and left the office, hitting the light switch as she passed it.

She double checked the murder room to be sure everyone had gone, and then she turned off the lights and strolled to the elevator. She wasn't as sad or angry anymore. She and her team had followed the evidence and investigated to the best of their ability. They'd solved the murders and had put the killer away for life. At the end of the day, that's all she could ask for.

The elevator door slid open and she stepped inside. She looked forward to washing the last few days away and spending some time with Rusty before lights out.

/

There was a knock on her office door. Andrea sighed. "Come in."

It was the DA himself, holding a file against his side. She instinctively sat straighter. "Hey, Andie, we had a blast from the past breeze through the office."

"Yeah?"

"A 17 year old case." He sighed. "Confessed and convicted murderer came in a day after he was released on parole to proclaim his innocence. Can you believe it?"

She nodded. "I can, yes."

"I looked through his case folder, and I don't see any wiggle room on this one, but if you would review the evidence with the arresting officer that would be great."

"Who's the officer?"

"You should know him pretty well by now - Detective Julio Sanchez." He placed the folder into her waiting hand.

"I'll get over there now."

"Gomez visited Sanchez before he came here."

Andrea nodded. "If I know Captain Raydor, they're already reviewing the evidence. She hates to leave any stone unturned."

The DA nodded. "Sounds like she would have made a hell of an attorney."

_Yeah_, _but she makes a fine cop too._

He left her office, with her close behind him. She shook her head. Their caseload was ridiculous as it was, and here they were considering reworking closed cases.

As she entered the Murder Room, she knew she'd been right: Sharon was reviewing the evidence with her team. She could hear Sanchez's and Provenza's grumbles from the hall. She stepped farther into the room and announced her presence by stating she had Gomez's signed confession.

Sanchez looked at Sharon as though she'd hurt his feelings. "You called the DA over this?"

Before Sharon could respond, Andrea forced a light tone and said, "No, Dante visited the DA's office after he left here. I said I would review the evidence with you." Then, to show she wasn't trying to get Gomez off anymore than they were, she smirked. "Are we done?"

If only Tao hadn't been so thorough, Andrea could have left, and the MCU could have considered the case closed. But then they wouldn't have gotten justice by arresting the real murderer seventeen years after the fact. The fact that Shrimpy had been thoughtful enough to describe the murder weapon for them had been enough to win her "stupid criminal of the day" award: a deal.

After Sharon and Julio had finished with Shrimpy, Andrea read the statement of facts, and then she offered her deal. Watching the man squirm was very satisfying, as was correcting the past mistake.

After Shrimpy was led out in handcuffs, Andrea stopped by Sharon's office. She knocked, and Sharon smiled and nodded for her to come in.

"Do you feel as good as I do?" Andrea asked, as she sat down.

Sharon shrugged. "I'm glad to see Shrimpy pay for his crimes." She sighed. "I'm worried about Julio, though. If he starts questioning his every instinct…"

Andrea nodded. "It had every indication of being open and shut. And with that confession, no one would have pursued it further. Not when there were five or six other cases waiting."

"But I am glad we learned from this."

"Speaking of learning, I heard Ms. Beck is back in town." She met Sharon's eyes. "How is that going?"

"Lieutenant Provenza." The slightly clipped tone indicated he would be facing the Captain's wrath soon. "Rusty brought her here earlier so she could apologize, part of the steps, of course." Sharon shrugged. "She says she wants to get better. I hope she does for Rusty's sake mostly, but also for her own. Rusty has concerns. About her, about her motives, about what she's going to do, and his role in that." She sighed. "We're going to see her tomorrow."

Andrea nodded. And they sat in silence a minute, considering the case, Ms. Beck, Rusty, all of it. "Hey, you wanna get some drinks or something? If you need a sympathetic ear to prepare for your...visit, I'm game."

Sharon smiled. The woman could do so many things with her smiles. This was one of pure warmth. "I'd like that."

/

When Sharon returned to their apartment, Rusty was sitting on the couch. "Hey, Sharon. Did you have a good time?"

She nodded. "Very nice. Thanks for asking." She ruffled his hair and sat next to him. "What about you? You okay here?"

"Oh, yeah. I made dinner. Studied a little. I didn't know you and DDA Hobbs were friends."

She shrugged. "Neither did I."

He raised a brow.

"We always got along. Worked together well."

"Unlike with Rios," he said with a shudder.

"Yes, that's true."

"To be fair, she wasn't so bad in the end."

"No, I guess she wasn't."

"You didn't talk about work the _whole_ time, did you?" His eyes said exactly what he thought of that.

Sharon laughed. "No, we talked about you for a bit."

"That's it? Just work and me? Sharon, if you're going out for drinks and things, you'll need to up your game."

She furrowed her brow. "I wasn't aware I had 'game'." Were they really having this conversation? "And we talked about other things: art, music. I bet you didn't know Andrea was in the brass band in college."

He grinned. "Glad you had a good time." He hugged her. "You sure you're not going to be too tired tomorrow? I mean-"

She pulled away to meet his eyes. "I'll be fine to visit. As long as you want to."

"Okay." He sighed. "Good. Goodnight, Sharon."

He got off the couch and went into his room. It was good to know he was as apprehensive as she was. His willingness to cancel their visit for Sharon was touching. Of course, she also understood it was a last ditch effort to use her as an excuse. If she'd thought that was what he needed she would have let him get away with it, but no. He needed to make all the decisions regarding his mother. She was willing to help him, talk to him, guide him - whatever he needed. But Ms. Beck's place in his life would have to be up to him.

His interest in her spontaneous drinks with Andrea was amusing too. It had been a very pleasant evening. They'd talked about everything and nothing, and when she talked about Ms. Beck, Andrea had simply sat there and listened. She hadn't offered any advice or opinions; she'd just heard Sharon express her concerns with no judgement.

Then the end had come, and Sharon hadn't known exactly how to act. Were they huggers? Cheek-kissers? Hand-shakers? They'd always been hand-shakers in the past, but that had been before they'd gone for drinks.

Sharon's decision to let Andrea's body language guide her actions hadn't helped either. As Andrea had seemed to be working through the same conundrum.

Finally, they'd stood from their table. Andrea had put out her hand and leaned her face forward, so Sharon had followed suit. And they'd ended up in some kind of hand-shake cheek-kiss limbo, which had made them both laugh.

Andrea had wished her a good night and good luck with the visit.

She grinned without knowing why and went into her room. She prepared for bed and slid under the covers, pulling up the throw blanket that Rusty loved to tease her about. He found her constant need for heat hilarious. She rolled her eyes at the thought and picked up her book off the bedside table. She'd read _Tell Me_ cover-to-cover several times before deciding to pick up another book by the author, a novel this time.

Before long, the emotional intensity of the evening won out over the nervous anticipation of the next day and overcame her. She fell asleep.

/

"That wasn't so bad, right?" Rusty asked.

"The visit? Or your driving us home?"

He rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha."

She laughed. "I thought it went very well. And I'm glad to say your driving has improved too."

He snorted. "That's because Amy put the fear of God into me. And I don't even believe in God."

She nodded. "She did her job, then."

They were sitting on the couch. Sharon let her head rest against the back of it. She had plenty of work to do, but the morning had taken a lot out of her, as had the week.

"I think I'll make lunch," Rusty said.

She'd 'rested her eyes,' but she said, "Okay, honey."

Then she felt his side of the couch shift as it was freed from his body weight. Her exhaustion and the soothing yet noisy sounds of Rusty in their kitchen lulled her into a gentle sleep.

What seemed like thirty seconds later, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hungry, Sharon?"

She blinked her eyes. "Yeah."

He had the gall to laugh. "You should have an early lights-out tonight."

She rolled her eyes. "What are we having?" She mmmed. "Smells delicious. Fresh."

"I found enough ingredients for that black-eyed pea salsa." He shrugged. "Figured that would be just right."

She nodded. "Perfect."

She pushed herself off the couch and into the dining room to sat at the table. He dished them each some salsa, and she reached for the bag of wild rice chips and poured some on her plate, then his. When he sat down, she picked up a chip and dipped it in the salsa. She bit into it and the cilantro and other ingredients delighted her taste buds. "Mmm."

"You like it?"

She nodded. "Wonderful. Better than when I made it."

They'd seen the recipe on a cooking show they'd watched during New Year's week. He'd commented that it looked good, and she'd explained how black-eyed peas meant good luck in the New Year. So they'd decided to try it. And they'd both loved it.

"I don't know about that."

"I do."

He didn't say anything to that, and they continued eating.

"You okay, Sharon? You seem...I don't know, quiet, I guess." His eyes searched her face for a clue. "It's not about-"

"No, it's not about your mom." She smiled weakly. "It's not about anything really. I'm fine."

He clearly wasn't buying it. "Do you like Andrea?"

She nodded. "What's not to like? She's funny and smart. Good at her job."

"Like you, you mean?"

She shrugged. "I don't know that I'm funny."

"You can be, Sharon."

"What's this about?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I...you're always worried about me. My happiness. But what about you?"

She covered his hand with hers. "You don't have to worry about me, Rusty. I'm fine." She smiled. "But if it'll make you happy, I'll call Andrea. Maybe we can go out to brunch tomorrow."

He nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." He cleared their places and loaded their dishes in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna study." He started into their living room/office and turned. "And Sharon? If you ever want to talk, I'm here."

She smiled. "Thanks, honey."

She retrieved the cordless phone and dialed Andrea's home number after checking the time to be sure it was a reasonable hour. Then she sat on the couch and with her free hand, waved off Rusty's enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Andrea picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello."

"Hey, Andrea. It's Sharon."

"Oh, hey. I'm glad you called."

Sharon smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah. My parents are coming over tomorrow, and I could use a moment of sanity before getting back to that."

"Oh, dear. That does sound rough."

"Not that I don't love them."

Sharon nodded, forgetting Andrea wouldn't see. "Of course not."

"And I hardly get to see them since they moved."

Sharon could relate. She and her children had flown out to visit her family most Christmases except for the last two. She missed her parents, but the thought of them visiting, just as she and Rusty were getting so settled...yeah, it didn't much appeal. "Would having a buffer help?" She paused. "Not that I'm imposing at all. I just...I've gotten quite good at acting in that capacity."

She thought of the non-dates she'd had with Andy, and the awkwardness that surrounded their second one. She had thought she was being a good friend by offering to go with him to wedding, but she hadn't meant for the event - and the ones that followed - to become about Andy and her. However, she sensed there would be none of that awkwardness with Andrea.

"You'd do that?!" Sharon could hear the smile in Andrea's voice. "That would be great. And Rusty's welcome too, of course."

Sharon glanced over at Rusty. "I'll let him know. Either way, I'll be there. What time?"

Andrea confirmed the time and gave Sharon her address. They exchanged wishes for pleasant afternoons and other well wishes. Then Sharon hung up.

"How'd it go?" Rusty asked.

"She invited us over to help form a buffer between her and her family."

"Oh, well, that's good, right?"

She nodded. "I think so."

"Do you want me to go? I don't want to, you know, get in the way."

"Honey, you're not in the way. If you want to go, I'd be happy to have you with me." She grinned. "That way I have proof when I brag about you."

He waved her comment off. "God, Sharon. You know I don't-"

"I know, but I consider it my right to tell the world how proud I am of you. And I don't get to do it nearly enough."

He sighed, but she knew there was nothing behind it. "There's worse things you could do, I suppose."

She nodded. "There are."

And that ended their discussion. He continued studying, and she mustered the energy to sit at her desk and work since it seemed she wouldn't have much time tomorrow.

/

"Damn!"

She had her dresses, skirts, sun-dresses, pants and tops strewn all over the bed. And nothing looked good.

A knock on her bedroom door. "Sharon, you okay?"

She sighed. "Come in." Maybe he could help her. He certainly couldn't hurt the situation.

He tentatively opened the door. Aside from the time he'd come to her room in the night to warn her of their "intruder," he had never been inside her room. And she had rarely entered his.

He stepped into the room and took one glance at the bed. "Wow, Sharon. I had no idea you had so many clothes."

"It looks like a lot when they're all out."

"No. It's a lot."

She laughed. "I've had a lot of years to add to my collection." One of the benefits of staying the same size her entire adult life, aside from when she'd been pregnant. "I don't know what to wear today. What about you?"

He shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it. What I usually do, I guess." He snorted. "Definitely not a suit."

She grinned. "No. That doesn't fit you at all. No pun intended."

He glanced at something on her bed. "What about that one? With the cow pattern, or whatever? I remember thinking Andrea liked it."

"Yeah?"

He nodded.

"It has been a while since I've worn it." She picked it up and held it up to her in the body length mirror. "That could work." She turned to Rusty. "How do you know?"

"Just a feeling. She looked at you more, or something."

"Maybe she thought it looked weird."

"Sharon, when I think something looks strange, I only want to see it once, not all day. Not more than I need to."

_Good point_.

"And the black skirt, you think?"

He nodded. "You're not going to ask about shoes, are you?"

She laughed. "No, Rusty, I think I've got it from here." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Yeah." He glanced at the clock next to her bed. "I should get dressed." He started toward the door. "I'm sure Andrea and her family will like you whatever you wear."

He left the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Sharon removed her bathrobe and changed. Rusty was right; she was being silly. But for once, she didn't mind; she hadn't felt free to be silly since she'd started dating Jack. And then she'd had to be the responsible adult when he couldn't.

She knew she would return to normal soon, but for the moment she was enjoying feeling...alive again.

/

Sharon glanced at Rusty, who nodded at her unasked question. She smiled and rang the doorbell. The door was white with a stained glass window in a half-oval across the top. On either side of the door were blue pots with assorted blue and white flowers and plenty of green. Sharon had never had much of a green thumb, so she didn't speak "flower," but they were pretty and well kept. Everything created a welcoming effect.

Andrea opened the door. She was wearing black jeans and a turquoise sweater top. Sharon had never seen her dressed like that before. It was a good look on her.

"Thank God you're here," Andrea said. She pulled Sharon in for a hug, which Sharon returned. Andrea released Sharon and shook Rusty's hand. "Thanks for coming, Rusty."

He nodded. "Sure." His nose perked up. "Smells good in there."

Andrea smiled with pride. "Thank you." She stepped back from the door. "Come in, come in."

When she stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was the staircase with white posts and hardwood covering the steps. In the nook of the arc was a bookshelf loaded with books. A wooden chair sat to the side of the shelf. The floor in the foyer and living room was hardwood, pine perhaps. And there were rugs at various intervals. It was all very homey. "What a lovely place you have," Sharon said.

"I call it my work in progress," Andrea said, but it was obvious she took great pride in her home. "Just like the rest of my life." A beat. "Well, have a seat. Make yourself at home. I just have some finishing touches left."

"Can I help?" Sharon asked.

"You're already doing so much for me. I couldn't ask," Andrea said.

"Sharon's great at helping," Rusty said.

Sharon glanced at him from the corner of his eye, but he was giving nothing away.

Andrea nodded. "I know." She gazed at Sharon. "You are, aren't you? Who am I to pass that up?"

Rusty went into the living room and sat on the black leather sofa. He nodded for Sharon to follow their hostess.

The kitchen matched the rest of the house (what she'd seen so far) with its cream-tiled walls, white window panes, countertops, and cabinets - the cabinets with Andrea's china had glass doors - and stainless steel dishwasher, oven, and sink. On the counter lay a cutting board, sliced vegetables, and a container of what Sharon thought - hoped - was fresh mozzarella. It was much neater than when Sharon cooked.

In the center of the kitchen was an octagonal table with a tan marble top and brown chairs. In the light from the window, Sharon could imagine Andrea eating breakfast there every morning before rushing off to work. It looked like a peaceful place to spend her final moments of sanity before the chaos of the day struck. "What a lovely kitchen!"

Andrea grinned. "Thanks, Sharon. Designed it myself." At Sharon's impressed glance, Andrea added, "Took me a looong time."

Sharon nodded. "It was worth it." Something wonderful permeated her nose. "Andrea, I think Rusty and I will want to bring you home with us, because it smells divine in here."

Andrea smiled shyly. "I hope it's good. I tried a few new recipes."

"I'm sure it'll all be fine. What is the menu?"

Andrea shrugged. "Because it's me, we're having a lot of appetizers and an entree. Shrimp cocktail; cucumber feta rolls; mozzarella balls, grape tomato halves, and basil on a stick - a variation on an old classic-"

"Mmm. And very trendy. What else?"

"Bruschetta. And for our main course: penne with asparagus, peas, mushrooms, and cream." She grinned. "And cannolis for desert."

"As I said, you'll be coming home with us."

Andrea met her eyes. "Or you could always move here." She smirked. "I really love my kitchen."

Sharon glanced around, pretending to appraise the home. "Well, I suppose you have more space here. That could be nice."

They stared at each other a moment, seeing who would break first. Sharon tried, even summoning her inner 'Darth Raydor,' but, ultimately, the ridiculousness of that image was too much. Sharon burst into giggles, and Andrea followed. They laughed until Sharon's side hurt.

Andrea leaned forward to stroke Sharon's arm. "That felt good, but it hurt, if that makes sense."

Sharon nodded. "It does." She glanced at the counter. "I'm at your service, Andrea. What can I do?"

"You wanna put the tomato mozz sticks together? I'll finish the pasta."

Sharon moved to the counter. Everything was chopped and ready for assembly. The skewers were lying beside the cutting board. There was a cocktail glass next to the sink. "Am I sticking them in that glass, Andie?" _Andie_?

"That would be perfect."

Sharon assembled the first stick carefully. She picked up a cherry tomato half, rolled a mozzarella ball in the bowl of oil and basil and placed it inside the tomato. Then she skewered them and put the skewer in the glass. She glanced at Andrea. "Okay?"

Andrea grinned. "Beautiful."

Sharon followed the same process for the other sticks. She felt Andrea move behind her, and then she heard a spoon scraping against the side of a pot. The smell of the cream sauce wafted through the room. She mmmed.

Just as she placed the last stick in the glass, Rusty burst into the kitchen. "Someone just pulled up, Andrea. Do you, uh, want me to let them in?"

Andrea put down the wooden spoon. "Let's greet them together."

/

It felt so _natural_ having Sharon and Rusty in her house. Like they could prepare and share countless meals together. Perhaps that could become a reality. This would be a good test.

Andrea led them to the front door and opened it to see her parents. Her father rushed inside to hug his 'favorite girl.' She blushed at the way he fussed over her in front of her other guests. Her mother 'saved' her by breaking in for a hug of her own. Then Andrea pulled back and gestured to Sharon and Rusty. "Mom. Dad. These are my friends Sharon and Rusty."

Her mother beamed at them. "Oh, hi. It's so nice to meet friends of Andie." She shook Sharon's hand, then Rusty's. "And what a handsome young man you are."

Rusty smiled with a shyness Andrea hadn't seen in her encounters with him. "Thank you."

"Don't frighten them, Beth," her father said. Then he shook Sharon's hand. "I'm Robert. It's nice to meet you, Sharon. And how do you know my Andie?"

Sharon smiled up at Robert. "We work together sometimes. I'm a Captain with the LAPD." She grinned and whispered ironically, "Your daughter's my favorite DDA."

Andrea snorted but then she smiled. "And Sharon's my favorite division leader because she's a stickler for the rules."

"Boy is she ever," Rusty said. Sharon glanced at him in mock shock, and he squeezed her shoulder. "Well, you are, but we love you anyway."

Robert shook Rusty's hand. Then he sniffed the air. "It smells wonderful in here, Andie. What's for dinner?"

Andrea laughed and rolled her eyes. She turned to Sharon. "We live for food in our family."

Sharon poked Rusty's arm. "So do we."

Andrea took her father's arm, and she explained the menu as she led everyone into the dining room.

/

Andrea kissed her parents goodbye and stepped out onto the porch as they left. They wished her good luck, and her father said Sharon was a keeper, to which she nodded. When they pulled out of the driveway, she returned inside and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. The day had gone very well, and it was all thanks to the ever-charming Sharon and Rusty.

"Andie, are you okay?" Sharon asked from the living room.

Andrea rejoined them. She smiled, as she sat on the sofa next to Sharon. "Never better."

"Your parents are really nice," Rusty said.

"Yes, they are. And they were really taken with you. With both of you," Andrea said.

She leaned against the sofa back. "I should clean up, but I just don't feel like it."

Rusty bolted from the armchair. "I could do it."

Andrea shook her head. "That's very nice, Rusty, but I can't ask you to do that."

"I don't mind. It's, like, fair or something. You cooked for us. I'll clean."

Sharon grinned. "He makes a good point, counselor."

"Indeed, he does." She smiled. "Thank you, Rusty."

He headed into the kitchen, and she shouted for him to let her know if he needed help. He waved her off and said, "I've got this."

Sharon laughed. "He tends to keep me out of the kitchen at home." She smiled fondly. "He's comfortable in there. Once I taught him how to load the dishwasher correctly, that is."

"You two are quite the team."

"We are."

Sharon had looked so content, but now… It was like she didn't know what to say or do.

"Is anything wrong?"

"Why am I here, Andie?"

Andrea blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't mean that I don't want to be. I just...what are we...I don't understand."

_Ah_. Andrea nodded. "You want to know how to label us."

Sharon tilted her head, considering. "Yes, I think that would be helpful."

"My parents, my dad especially, say you're a keeper. And I agree. That is, if you're onboard."

She snorted. "No pressure, right." She said nothing for a bit, and then started, "So they-"

"They've known as long as I have. If not longer." She paused. "And I'm very lucky to have had such support."

Sharon nodded. "That's what I needed to know."

Andrea leaned toward Sharon's side. "But there's still-"

"This is all very new for me."

"I understand. I won't..."

"But I do want this. Us. I think I have for a long time." Sharon leaned in and stroked Andrea's face. "Is it okay if we move slowly?"

Andrea pressed her face deeper into Sharon's palm and reached out to cup Sharon's face. "Of course. You are more than worth the wait."

Sharon mmmed. It was a sound Andrea had already grown to love, but she adored even more in conjunction with their touches. Their faces came closer and closer until their lips brushed together. They smiled against each other's mouths, and Sharon pulled her in for a hug.

"And Rusty?" Andrea asked.

Sharon hmmed. "I think he already knows. Maybe even longer than I have. But I'll talk to him."

Just then, they heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Andrea began to pull back, but Sharon held her close and rubbed the back of her head as though to signal it would be okay.

When Rusty walked in, he simply sat down in the armchair. "So, um, are you guys, like, dating now?"

"Yes, I think we are," Sharon said.

"Cool," Rusty said.

_Cool_. Andrea smiled contentedly in Sharon's arms.


End file.
